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How Do You
Demonstrate Confidence?
As you read articles and
books about interviewing, you
will notice that
most of the information focuses on "being prepared." When you look
closely at the information provided , you will see that many of the
tips given focus
on the external preparation: what to wear, body language, handshakes,
and strong
examples. There is much less emphasis or information found on preparing
internally
for the interview.
Internal preparation begins with your feelings about yourself, as well
as your
feelings about searching for a job and interviewing. If you have been
having a
difficult time finding a job or have been laid off, your
self-confidence may be
running a little low. Your feelings about yourself and your
self-esteem, or
self-confidence, are fragile and can change from situation to
situation. You
can gauge your level of confidence or self-esteem by asking yourself
the
following question, “Are you prepared to go out and sell
yourself, and feel
good about what you are selling - YOU?” If your answer is,
"No," then
there is some work to do on the inside before you can sell on the
outside.
If you ask any sales person, he or she will tell you that it is much
easier to
sell a product that you believe in than it is to go through the motions
of
being passionate about something you really don't like or trust.
Individuals
who do not believe in their own ability cannot possibly convince
someone else
that they are the "best" candidate for the job. Begin by believing in
yourself in order to gain the confidence needed to influence someone
else to
"buy" what you are selling – you!
Low
Self-Esteem Statement: I
think I
am pretty good when it comes to helping people with problems.
High
Self-Esteem Statement: My strengths
are my customer service
skills and my ability to get to the root of a problem to help
customers. I
excel in these areas because…
When you use weak terms like, "pretty good," you send the message
that you are not strong, just okay. Who would you hire? Someone who is
"pretty good" at helping people with problems or someone who says his
strengths are customer service and problem solving? Not much room for
doubt
there.
Only when you believe in yourself can you convince someone else that
you are
the best person for the job.
How
Do You Develop
Self-Confidence?
A good way to begin your internal preparation is with an inventory of
your
capabilities. That means getting in touch with your strengths as well
as your
weaknesses. You will find it very empowering to discover, and list out,
what
you have to offer. It is also a good idea to know what your short- and
long-term
goals are.
A simple exercise that will help you answer these questions will also
help you
take a look inside yourself and begin to think about what you want
"more
of" and what you want "less of" in your next job. People usually
perform at a higher level if they are satisfied with the work they do
and, as a
result, are more motivated to give 100+% to their jobs.
Begin by
making a list of the important
tasks
you completed at your current/last job. These would be the
tasks that you
were particularly proud of, or were energized by. In other words, when
you were
"turned on" by your job. Think about the last time you were so
involved in a project or task that you lost track of time or woke up at
night
excited, thinking about how you could improve the situation. Write
those
experiences down and try to determine what the factors were that were
satisfying for you. Be specific.
Let's say
you were a "Project Leader." The tasks listed could read something
like: "Led a team; coordinated and monitored project progress; assured
the
flow and completion of work on schedule; monitored expenditures and
budget..."
What were the stimulating tasks of this job? Was it the leadership
aspect? Or,
was it the challenge of coordinating the details and people? Was it
completing
the project on time or below budget? Were there customers involved
(internal or
external) and, if so, is that what you found most challenging or
rewarding? What
didn't you like and hope that you will do less of in your next job?
Create
similar lists for previous jobs. If
you recently graduated from college, use the classes that were most
stimulating
and interesting for you, or the projects you worked on with teams. By
making
lists of motivating experiences from your last two or three jobs, you
will
hopefully begin to see patterns of projects and tasks that stand out.
Look for these
patterns and
recurrences. Analyze
your lists. Which tasks do you see listed more than once? Which ones
left you
feeling the most fulfilled? Which do you look forward to doing more of?
What
tasks would you like to develop your skills in? The answers to these
questions
will help you determine what you want and create possibilities for
greater fulfillment
in future jobs that have similar responsibilities. Knowing what you
want will
make you feel more confident about finding the right job.
Being clear on what you like to do, and what you are good at doing,
will enable
you to build your self-confidence and help you effectively sell your
skills
during an interview. By getting to know yourself better, you will also
discover
what makes you unique and what differentiates you from your
competition. And
that is one of the keys to successful interviewing – showing
the employer that you are THE
candidate for the job.
Confident, motivated, you.
Jessica Coffey,
MEd, CPRW, CFRWC
MVPSource
Senior Interview Training Consultant &
Coach
Jessica
Coffey has over 15 years of experience
providing interview coaching and career management strategies to all
levels of
government and private sector employees. She serves as lead Interview
Coach and
Trainer for The Resume Place and helped create a formal job interview
coaching
service there. In addition, she wrote the interview chapter of Ten Steps to a Federal Job. Prior to
that, Jessica created and managed three successful mock interview
programs. As
a Contract Career Counselor at the IRS,
she developed an interview prep
guide for transitioning employees and led numerous career management
workshops.
Jessica's ability to quickly assess and determine key areas of
improvement for
interview clients has helped them, time and again, perform more
confidently and
successfully during the interview process.
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